By Leslie Linsley

Author of “Christmas On Nantucket” (Globe Pequot)

November 2024

It’s fall. It’s getting cooler.  It’s time to come inside. Your home should feel welcome as soon as you walk through the front door. There should be a place to hang your coat, sit down and take off your boots. Treat your entryway as a little gallery.

Benjamin Moore just announced a new paint color for 2025, Cinnamon Slate 2113-40. It’s a mix of heathered plum and velvety brown - quietly elegant. Arrange art on the walls, add a mirror, framed photographs. Time for a new floor mat? Check out Tahiti Mats custom size rugs and runners from 100% jute (Housewares.)

I have a small mirror on the back of my front and back doors for a quick check before going out. Add soft lighting with a small table lamp. Just for fun, create a surprise photo gallery inside a closet door. 

Getting organized for winter usually begins with putting summer clothes away. Housewares is brimming with everything you need for winter storage including the cedar sachets I bought for my sweater drawers (lovely scent!) and the lavender from Sonoma for sprinkling in the linen closet-heavenly! The lavender diffusers are perfect for the powder room or a hostess gift. 

Rearranging furniture enlivens a room.  It’s all about the details: vases, candleholders, handcrafted objects, throw pillows, wall sconces, a new chandelier are easy, inexpensive refreshers. If you decorate with the things you love, your home will always be interesting. Make an arrangement of related objects in size, shape, color, and material. Remove one item, then another until you get the right mix. If your house is basically neutral, introduce color with collectibles. 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, imagine the parties and family get-togethers you might be hostiing. “Cooking and baking is on everyone’s mind at this time of year,” Bed and Bath specialist, Lili Grace said as she showed me the new Cuisinart pots and pans. “They’re top of the line and worth every penny.” With the right equipment, I imagined becoming a decent cook. Lili then steered me to the aisle filled with baking pans. “USA Pans,” she said, “produce commercial bakeware designed for success.”   The non-stick silicone cookie tray pan got my attention. It has a fluted surface with an easy-to-grip handle that made me think I could bake perfect cookies without burning them, as I often do. A few other items like the utility cutting board made me realize it was time for an upgrade. I was beginning to believe I could make a perfect pie using Mrs. Anderson’s pie crust shield that prevents pie crusts from burning. The non-stick silicone baking mat takes the place of parchment paper and it’s reusable. Whoever Mrs. Anderson is, I decided she must know her stuff, promising that dough items bake to a perfect golden brown every time! According to Lili, the natural, sustainable, bamboo, tapered rolling pin is the choice of professional bakers. 

Every year when I set the Thanksgiving table, my entire family from past generations goes into the mix. Everyone has something that reminds them of their childhood even if it’s just the mundane bowl your mother or grandmother used to serve the vegetables for everyday dinners. It’s a time for “remember when…”. During the year I make a feeble attempt at decluttering, but the things that matter are still intact in the boxes marked with their contents. As I take stock of these things, I wonder if de-cluttering isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

There is nothing more refreshing than a table set with all white and touches of green. Use white linens and chinaware (Housewares) and lots of white candles. Use a green apple at each place setting to hold a place card set into a knife-edge slit. For a centerpiece, fill a large glass vase halfway with dried peas or brussels sprouts and water to hold a bouquet of mint, rosemary and other herbs. The new oversized farmhouse pitchers (Housewares) are perfect for holding a bunch of sunflowers or white roses on a sideboard. Collect scallop shells to hold votives for a “Nantucket “ themed table and mussels or scallop shells make beautiful Nantucket style wreaths for your front door.

Hint: For a jump on Christmas, holiday decorations are already on display in Housewares and they’re better than ever!!